Irving, TX — A MacArthur High School senior is making history for Irving ISD after earning an invitation to compete at the United States Academic Decathlon National Competition.
Fernando Solis will represent MacArthur High School at the national competition scheduled for April 23–25 in Anaheim, California. He is the first student in Irving ISD history to receive an invitation to the national-level Academic Decathlon event.
Solis earned the invitation following his performance at the Thomas E. Moseley State Academic Decathlon Meet in San Antonio, where he competed as a member of the MacArthur Academic Decathlon team. At the state competition, Solis placed second in both literature and mathematics in the Varsity division and finished sixth overall.
When he learned he had qualified for nationals, Solis said the moment was overwhelming.
“I was genuinely at a loss for words, unable to communicate my astoundment to even my mom,” Solis said.
The accomplishment represents a major milestone for the senior, who said his journey in Academic Decathlon was not always easy. Solis joined the program as a sophomore but initially struggled and was the only team member who did not qualify for the state competition that year.
“When I started Academic Decathlon as a sophomore, I struggled a lot and was the only team member who wasn’t able to join everyone at state,” Solis said. “Now, in my senior year, I’ve earned the opportunity to compete at nationals.”
Among the competition subjects, Solis said mathematics is his favorite because of the challenge and sense of accomplishment it brings.
“It feels especially amazing when something that starts out complicated turns out simple,” he said. “Those are some of the best feelings ever.”
Solis said developing effective study strategies played a key role in his improvement.
“After learning everything once, I use test data to determine where I struggle the most and focus on those areas instead of splitting my attention between struggle areas and things I already know,” he said.
As he prepares for the national competition, Solis said he is particularly excited about the music category.
“We have to listen to a short excerpt from music selections from the 1920s and answer questions based on those excerpts,” Solis explained. “This year, the music is very fun to listen to, so I’m definitely looking forward to that.”
Irving ISD officials congratulated Solis on the historic achievement and said they look forward to cheering him on as he represents MacArthur High School and the district at the national competition.
